Tomato Rice

mmm….this tomato rice dish reminds me of the good old days back home as this was one of the popular dishes in our household.
Mum used to pack this for lunch for me when I was working and my colleagues would want to exchange their lunch for mine!!
I used to devour this then and now as well – ofcourse takes me miles away! !
This is a quick and easy recipe, takes less than 20 minutes to prepare if you approach it in an organised manner – as in most cases, multi-tasking plays a big role.
So while the rice is being cooked, the gravy can be prepared and once the rice is ready to be taken out of the cooker, it can be folded together!!!

Tomatoes are initially green and when ripe turn red. Tomatoes are used in a variety of dishes all around the world! China, United States and India are the leading tomato producers in the world. Tomatoes contain double dosage of Vitamin C, nearly 50 times more of Vitamin A,beneficial to the heart and are rich in antioxidants – ofcourse as we all know it can be eaten raw as in salads
or cooked in a variety of ways based on the cuisines of different countries!!

My preference is to use to Roma or Bangalore tomatoes (a speciality of India but available in most countries). Roma tomatoes are generally bright red, oval in shape and taste delicious on their own!!

This recipe is a combination of tomatoes tossed in oil with onion, ginger and very mild spices!! Extra spices or garam masala powder can be added to suit the palate of the individual households!

Chop the tomatoes and onions fine and set aside
Wash the rice thoroughly in water and add one cup of water and pressure cook for a couple of whistles

In the meantime, heat the oil in the pan, add the turmeric powder and the cumin seeds
Add the green chilli,ginger and the finely chopped onions
fry it for a few minutes till it softens.
Slide through the finely chopped tomatoes and the tomato paste
Sprinkle the salt and sambhar powder
Fry it on a low flame for approximately 5 minutes

In a large dish, add the cooked rice little by little folding through the tomato mixture for every layer of cooked rice
Fold the entire tomato rice gently with a wooden ladle and mix it thoroughly
Garnish it with the finely chopped coriander leaves

Heat the tomato rice just before it is served. It can be served with any raita or have it with chips as my boys do sometimes!!

Note: Basmati rice brings out the flavour in the dish. It is optional to use a clove of chopped garlic when you are adding the ginger! My preference is to pressure cook the basmati rice as whilst it takes lesser time, the rice grains are separate, cooked well and enhances the look of the dish.
You may also cook the rice directly in a pan – refer to this website for the Methods of Cooking Rice for more ways of cooking rice!!